• 09-09-2007, 10:04 PM
    JohnnyDownUnder
    Basic Pre amp out question
    Apologies for boring you witless, but I have not long ago bought a Cambridge Audio A500 intergrated amp with a pre amp out. Does this mean I could connect the pre amp out to a power amp and,er, why would I want or need to do it? It's a set up for my bedroom running some Wharfdale 9.1s. And my bedroom is not vast. More power might be overkill? I've only ever used integrateds of one form or another.
    Just wondering.
    Cheers
    John
  • 09-09-2007, 11:15 PM
    musicman1999
    You could but as you say,why would i?If you are happy with the sound don't mess with it.Every Cambridge piece i have ever owned has been very good and that amp you have has a great reputation.
    .

    bill
  • 09-10-2007, 05:19 AM
    markw
    It's an option.
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JohnnyDownUnder
    Does this mean I could connect the pre amp out to a power amp and,er, why would I want or need to do it?

    Someday you may decide to move to a larger room, get different speakers, add a powered subwoofer, or even sell it to someone who might appreciate the flexibility it affords.

    It's always better to have options and not need them than to find that, at some point in the future, you find you need them and don't have them.
  • 09-10-2007, 07:49 AM
    JohnMichael
    The pre-amp out will allow you to do three things;

    1. You can use a more powerful amp later and use the A500 as a preamp.

    2. You can buy another A500 and quasi bi amp your speakers with one amp handling your tweeters and the other the woofers. I have always felt true biamping involved a crossover before the power amps.

    3. Feeding a powered subwoofer as mentioned.

    I agree with the sentiments that if you are happy with the sound leave well enough alone. I own the Cambridge Audio Azur 640A and have been impressed with it. My speakers are in a fairly small living/dining room and I do not need anymore power.
  • 09-10-2007, 08:11 AM
    GMichael
    Welcome to AR. Pleased to see that your questions were answered so well. Hope you'll stick arround and post more.
    How do you like that system of yours? Got any pics?
  • 09-10-2007, 11:04 PM
    JohnnyDownUnder
    Thanks very much for all replies. I forgot to mention I am currently running a sub, so obviously couldn't do both at same time.One reason I fancied a pre amp out was to add a bit more botom end to the 9.1s. Maybe the only thing better than one A500 is two!! Having had a muscular old Rotel amp in London years back I sometimes dream of a Rotel pre and power combo, but they sell for a lot here as desirable, and maybe overkill for a bedroom!! Pretty happy meantime though, but almost an anticlimax after fiddling and tweaking to have good sounds in three rooms in the house. Maybe the conservatory is the final frontier!!
    One last query before I go. Currenlty running QED Qudos biwire from one set of speaker terminals on my A500, but previously used to run bass and treble from both sets of speaker out, but with different cables (monster..and one guage for bass, another lesser gauge pair for treble..cause I ran out of fat overpriced guage!!) The QED from one speaker pair sounds as good to my ears as teh different Monsters from both, but is there much difference running from one or two pairs of speaker terminals. I realise its a "newbie" kind of question, but have yet to find an anwer to this.
    Cheers
    John